Who Abuses And Neglects Children?
In 1997, the majority of perpetrators of child maltreatment (75%) were parents, and another 10 percent were other relatives of the victim. People who were in other caretaking relationships to the victim (e.g., child care providers, foster parents, and facility staff) accounted for only 2 percent of perpetrators. About 13 percent of all perpetrators were classified as non-caretakers or unknown. (In many States, perpetrators of child maltreatment by definition must be in a caretaking role.) Over 80 percent of all perpetrators were under age 40. Overall, approximately 62 percent of perpetrators were female, although perpetrator gender differed by type of maltreatment. Neglect and medical neglect were most often attributed to female perpetrators, while sexual abuse was most often attributed to male perpetrators.
